DAMARISCOTTA, Maine — There is a group of ladies in Damariscotta that gathers every single Thursday, and they've been coming together for more than two decades.
"Yeah, that's right, we don't make any doctor's appointments or dentist appointments on Thursdays," the group said. "It's our number one priority. You are going to get sick? Do it another day!"
And while some of the original ladies have passed away, a solid group of six always meets up to create quilts, pillow covers, and bed runners that they donate to the Ronald McDonald House of Maine and the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.
"Every child that went to the Barbara Bush hospital, they ended up with pillowcases. So we started making pillowcases and then baby quilts for the Ronald McDonald [House]," Anne Knott said.
"Our basic joy here is doing things for the children at the hospital," Joan Fogg added.
Just in the past few years, one of the ladies offered to open up an unused barn and made it the official stitching place for the group to meet up and do their thing.
"There is a lot of hours involved," Knott said.
For them, it's a way to stay social and be creative, and it gets their hands and minds going for hours. They laugh and bond while giving back to those in need through their creations.
"The fun part is picking out the fabric," Beth Scammon said.
But it's coming together every seven days that they most look forward to.
"And we've become very close friends," Scammon said.
"We really love doing things for other people," Joanne Oliver added.
The ladies said they only have enough space to comfortably sit six people, even though they know many others would love to join them.
"There was a waiting list because we can only have 6 at a time, so I waited for a while and finally I got a phone call saying, 'Do you want to come to the group?' and I said, 'I sure do,' and that was 15 years ago," Louisa Winchenbach said.
"We just click. I don't know how to explain it. I guess [it's] because we have the same goals," Fogg said.
All of the materials they use are purchased out of their own pockets.
"It's sort of a group therapy too. It helps us, and at the same time, we are helping other people," Winchenbach explained.
The ladies take their donations to the Ronald McDonald House of Maine in Portland twice a year for distribution to kids in need of medical attention.
"Twenty-five years goes by fast," Oliver said with a laugh.
The ladies shared that they have also created pieces for veterans and people in need in their communities, and they even made a special order to Africa for girls who were in great need.
If you would like to donate fabric to help the ladies with their work, you can contact Louisa Winchenbach by sending her an email at: cowlico99@yahoo.com.